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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155699">this is a gift (it comes with a price)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vexelore/pseuds/varthandi'>varthandi (vexelore)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Blood and Injury, Don't worry, Gen, I lied, Logic | Logan Sanders is Bad at Feelings, Minor Injuries, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, My First Fanfic, Panic Attacks, Post-Episode: Putting Others First - Selfishness v. Selflessness Redux | Sanders Sides, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Sides (Sanders Sides), everything is going to be fine, janus is a sad drunk, so you know how I tagged this as Light Angst before?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:34:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,907</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vexelore/pseuds/varthandi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Things are going well for Thomas. But are they really?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety &amp; Creativity &amp; Dark Creativity &amp; Deceit &amp; Logic &amp; Morality &amp; Thomas (Sanders Sides)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Thomas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I got an idea and I really wanted to write some self-indulgent fanfic for this fandom. So, here it is, my first ever fanfic ft. far too many italics. Hopefully, it won’t be my last. Please let me know if I should change, add, or remove any tags because I Do Not Know what I am doing here. Title is from Florence + the Machine’s “Rabbit Heart”. Don’t read too much into it, I just thought this lyric fit and I am Not Great at naming things.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thomas shut the front door and made his way to the couch, letting himself fall spread-eagle onto it, and released a deep sigh. Another day filled to the brim with planning, meetings, and just a <em>little </em>goofing off, and more tomorrow. He wasn't sure where this sudden burst of motivation had come from, but he wasn't going to let it go to waste.</p><p>“Hey, kiddo!” Patton said as he rose up quickly in his usual spot with a wave and his customary grin.</p><p>Thomas let out a surprised, “Oh!” and scrambled back onto his feet. </p><p>“Hey, Patton! What’s up? Something wrong?” he asked.</p><p>“Oh, no! Nothing’s wrong. Not unless <em>you</em> think something’s wrong?” There was something in Patton's earnest expression that reminded Thomas uncomfortably of that disastrous conversation they'd had after the wedding.</p><p>“What Patton means to say,” Logan chimed in as he also rose up, “is that your recent emotional state has him concerned.”</p><p>“Ah, don’t you mean it has ‘us’ concerned?”</p><p>Logan crossed his arms. “If I meant that I would have said that.” </p><p>Glancing between his sides and hoping this wasn't going to devolve into yet another mind-melting argument this late at night, Thomas said, “Thanks, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I feel fine. Just a bit tired and maybe a little bit down lately, but nothing bad. It’ll pass.”</p><p>Patton failed to hide his grimace. </p><p>“Of course it will! But, maybe, it might pass sooner if you took a break? Just a short one!” he said quickly, holding up his hands to forestall any interjections.</p><p>Thomas’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “I just got back from a break last week, Patton. And I’m actually feeling really pumped lately so I want to get as much as I can done before I take another one,” he said with a shrug. “I feel fine, Patton. Honest.”</p><p>Thomas almost missed Patton’s eyes flicking to the empty space beside himself. </p><p>Logan apparently had missed it, as he just nodded approvingly and said, “An admirable effort, Thomas. See, Patton? Everything is fine. There is no need to worry.”</p><p>“Professor Rumble-snore is right!” Roman piped in as he, too, rose up. “Thomas is inspired! What’s a little melancholy meandering if it motivates him to make?”</p><p>Thomas blinked in surprise. He hadn't seen Roman since he’d sunk out in the last video and was rather worried that without the prince on his side, he’d be in a creative slump until they finally sorted out their issues, probably with another exhaustingly emotional episode. But there he was, jovial as ever, as if he hadn't left their last conversation on such uncertain terms.</p><p>"Roman!" Patton exclaimed. "Hey there! Are ya feeling, uh, all right? We haven't seen you for a while now."</p><p>"As right as rain, dear old dad! But we're not here to talk about me."</p><p>Logan eyed Roman curiously. He opened his mouth to say something but was immediately cut off by the prince.</p><p>“Look, all I’m saying is, Thomas and I are groovin’ it up in here,” Roman said as he did a little dance, “and ain't nothin' gonna break our stride! Where creativity flows, happiness goes! Am I right?”</p><p>Patton looked chagrined but did not seem too convinced. “Yeah! I totally agree! Thomas is doing amazing! He’s ahead of schedule-” </p><p>Logan’s lips twitched upward and his chest puffed out a bit. </p><p>“-he’s eating healthier-”</p><p>“He ate half an entire pizza for dinner last night, padre,” Roman said under his breath.</p><p>“-and he’s taking the time to do all his chores before they pile up. And that’s <em>great</em>!” </p><p>Thomas’s eyebrows creased slightly as he watched Patton. </p><p>“... But?” he prompted.</p><p>“<em>But,</em> we did agree that you should be taking care of your mental health, too. And...” Patton trailed off as his eyes slid back to the space next to him again. There was a moment of silent tension as everyone else exchanged confused looks. When nothing more happened, Logan cleared his throat.</p><p>“Were you expecting something to happen, Patton?”</p><p>“Oh, uh, no?”</p><p>Roman gave a loud huff and rolled his eyes. “We don’t need the Burmese <em>Lie</em>-thon to show up, too.”</p><p>Thomas glanced around the room as if the side in question was hiding from him, waiting for the perfect moment to make his dramatic entrance. He wasn’t. Thomas felt a slight twinge of disappointment at the realization that it had been almost as long since he’d seen Janus as he had Roman. He thought he was finally starting to understand the reptilian rapscallion, and couldn’t place why Janus had disappeared so suddenly after fighting for so long to be heard. If anything, Thomas thought accepting the snake boy would have led to him showing up more often to try and convince him to take more breaks or something, not radio silence.</p><p>“Janus has a point,” Patton pressed, “If Thomas isn’t feeling well then he should take the time to figure out why. Before he has another... mental health crisis.”</p><p>Roman eyed the moral side suspiciously. “That sounds exactly like something <em>he</em> would say.” The prince thrust an accusing finger at Patton. “Deceit! Reveal yourself!”</p><p>Patton held up his hands in a placating manner. “No, Roman, it’s me, I promise!”</p><p>“Then why are you trying to stop us?”</p><p>“It’s just,” Patton gestured emphatically to himself and to Thomas, “I’ve learned that repression isn’t healthy. Thomas needs to face his emotions and deal with them before they get to be too much.”</p><p>Thomas frowned. “What do you mean? What am I supposed to be feeling? Because I feel <em>fine</em>, Patton, I swear.”</p><p>The distress on Patton’s face deepened. “A-are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes,” Thomas nodded firmly. “Patton, what are you talking about? What’s going on?”</p><p>“I don’t know! Something’s <em>off</em>. It has been for a while, and it’s building up. But you’re saying you don’t feel it?” Patton asked helplessly.</p><p>Thomas shook his head, folding his arms together. “But what could it be? I’m not aware of any feelings aside from some... vague sadness. It comes and goes but it’s not from anything, though. Is it?”</p><p>“Well, it certainly cannot originate from your work. Your efforts as of late have produced above average results that you are proud of and you are actively limiting the amount of time spent on, ahem, less productive endeavors in favor of these projects,” Logan said. “Regardless, Patton, you are the metaphorical center of most of Thomas’s feelings. Wouldn’t you know the source of these particular ones?”</p><p>Patton wrung his hands as he shook his head.</p><p>“Isn’t it obvious?” Roman sighed. “Who do we know that <em>hides</em> things from Thomas?”</p><p>“You believe Janus may be hiding some of Thomas’s emotions from him?” Logan asked.</p><p>“I wouldn’t put it past the conniving cobra. I mean, making Thomas feel bad in order to force him to take a day off? Does that <em>not</em> sound like something he would do?”</p><p>Logan adjusted his tie. “Judging from his previous actions and inferring from some of his past statements, I would conclude that while Janus does highly value Thomas’s well-being, he is not averse to utilizing underhanded tactics to prove his point.”</p><p>“See? Even the Logitech Lecturer agrees with me!”</p><p>“In the interest of resolving this issue as quickly as possible, I propose that we discuss this matter with him directly. Janus?”</p><p>Several uneventful moments passed. Janus was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“When was the last time anyone actually saw Janus?” Patton asked quietly.</p><p>Sharing a confused and troubled look with Logan, Thomas shrugged. “I haven’t really seen him since after the last video.”</p><p>“Neither have I,” Logan said. They turned to Roman.</p><p>Roman huffed. “He wanted to talk a few days after Lee and Mary Lee came by. I wasn’t in the mood for his creepy snake-face so I sent him off. Haven’t seen him since.” Thomas’s eyes drifted back to the space next to Patton.</p><p>“Patton?” Logan asked.</p><p>He shook his head. Logan sighed.</p><p>“Virgil is unlikely to have sought him out, considering his present reclusiveness and what we’ve seen of their interactions, and we have not seen much of the Duke in the last few weeks either. It would be safest to assume that no one has seen him since his appearance in the last video. This may be more serious than we thought. Janus?” Logan called again, a little more forcefully.</p><p>Janus did not appear.</p><p>“Janus? Buddy? We just want to talk,” Patton tried.</p><p>“You may as well get this over with, Magical Mr. <em>Hiss</em>-toffe-<em>lies</em>.” </p><p>Roman crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow as the deceitful side spectacularly failed to emerge in the following minutes.</p><p>Thomas cleared his throat. “Janus? Can you please come out?”</p><p>Several more moments passed in silence. Then, a rather disgruntled-looking Janus appeared next to Patton, who slumped in relief, the corners of his lips twitching upward, though his brow remained furrowed in concern. The reptilian side seemed normal, if a bit paler than usual, standing there with his bowler hat pulled low over his eyes, lips pressed into a thin line, and hands clasped tightly behind his back. He fixed his eyes on Thomas.</p><p>“<em>Terribly</em> sorry I’m late,” he said, his voice a little rougher than usual, “I was… <em>busy</em>. But you know I’d drop everything for <em>you</em>, Thomas.”</p><p>Roman glared at him and scoffed but said nothing. The yellow side did not so much as look in his direction, his unfaltering gaze pinned on Thomas. Thomas fought the urge to fidget and gave Janus an uncertain smile. </p><p>“Right. Thanks, Janus. Uh, we were discussing…?” He glanced at Logan. Janus shifted his own focus to the logical side.</p><p>“Patton believes Thomas needs some time off due to some as-of-yet unidentified feelings. Thomas claims to be in good health, physically and mentally speaking, and does not seem to know what feelings Patton is referring to. As one of your functions is hiding things from Thomas, we must ask if you are doing so now.” Logan held his hands together and gestured toward Janus. “Janus, is there some cause for concern? Are you hiding something from us that we should be aware of?”</p><p>Janus’s eyes narrowed, calculating. He held himself quite rigidly, jaw clenched, spine straight, refraining from shifting side to side as he usually did. Beside him, Patton shot Janus a sidelong, imploring look.</p><p>Janus scoffed. “Not at all. While I do agree that Thomas always deserves more time for himself, there is nothing to be worried about on that matter. He has work to be doing, and he should do it. After a good night’s rest, of course. Now, if that’s all you needed me for, there are things I must attend to.”</p><p>He sank out before anyone could question him further.</p><p>“Janus, wait!” Patton cried after him.</p><p>“Good riddance,” Roman muttered.</p><p>Thomas’s bewildered face met Logan’s nonplussed one. He turned back just in time to see Patton excuse himself and sink down after Janus, leaving behind two confused sides and one befuddled Thomas.</p><p>“What just happened?”</p><p>Logan sighed again. “Perhaps you should retire for the night, Thomas. I will look into this and report back to you in the morning.”</p><p>Thomas nodded at Logan and bid him and Roman good night as they sank out before heading upstairs to the sweet siren call of his bed. He did not have a good feeling about this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just wanted to write an angsty one-shot, but these gays just kept chattering away without even getting to the angst annnd now it’s multi-chapter. I also spent forever trying to come up with nicknames and they’re not even that good (darn Roman and his proclivity for personalized epithets… except maybe the Cats reference but I don’t know how proud I should be of that one). 😕 And I am not all that witty or clever at the best of times so I apologize for the lack of Patton-ted puns despite my love of them. Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Patton</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Janus is <em>totally</em> fine. No need to worry, Patton. 🙂</p><p>Chapter Warnings: implied alcohol use, blood mention, minor injury</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Patton rose up outside Janus’s door, unwilling to breach the other side’s privacy by appearing directly inside. </p><p>The moment he’d seen Janus, he’d realized. Strong emotions filtered through Patton and on to Thomas. No matter how much Janus tried to deny and repress them, all he’d succeeded in doing was confuse Patton as to their source and give Thomas a vague but easily brushed aside sense of unease. Patton just wished he knew why. After a moment of consideration, Patton knocked three times.</p><p>“Janus?” he called softly through the door. “Can I come in?”</p><p>Silence. </p><p>Patton frowned. Aside from the deep sorrow he’d sensed, he had also noticed Janus’s unease and odd behavior, which was why he had followed him so quickly. He could tell at least part of what the other side had said was lies. Or perhaps they all were? Or maybe he was actually telling the truth? Patton couldn’t be certain until he asked, though he supposed it was only appropriate that the side that embodied deceit was the only one who knew for sure who among them was lying and who was not.</p><p>He knocked again. Still no answer. </p><p>In a fit of fretful desperation, he tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. The door drifted open without a sound. The salty-sweet tang of sorrow drifting in the air grew thicker.</p><p>Patton hesitated. It was quiet and dark inside, at least until he heard a muffled sob. He gently pushed open the door and let himself in, apprehension pooling in his gut.</p><p>Janus sat at his desk, holding his head in his ungloved hands, shoulders trembling as he tried in vain to silence himself. Two open bottles of wine, one half-full, and a near-empty wine glass sat atop the table, dimly lit by small electric candelabras. Patton’s heart sank further into his stomach.</p><p>“Janus?” Patton whispered, though from Janus’s reaction he may as well have screamed.</p><p>Janus jumped out of his seat, knocking over one of the bottles and himself in the process. The bottle shattered, shards and liquid both spilling over the edge and onto the floor, where one of his arms landed in an ill-fated attempt to catch himself, his hat toppling off from the jolt.</p><p>Patton was at his side immediately. His hands hovered over the other, unsure if his touch was welcome, but his doubts vanished when he heard Janus’s soft whimper, clutching his bleeding limb to his chest, the red dark against his pale skin, staining his shirt where it smeared. The fatherly side gently but firmly grasped Janus’s shoulders and pulled him up and away, minding the glass as he stepped. He guided the half-snake to a nearby armchair and sat him on it.</p><p>Janus looked absolutely wretched. Patton knelt before him, carefully wiping away glistening tears and rubbing off a heavy coat of concealer with them, revealing dark bags underneath his bloodshot human eye. This close, Patton could see the haphazard rush job Janus had done with his makeup, leaving it thick and uneven. The wetness had washed away the foundation he’d applied, leaving a mess of sticky powder trailing down his cheek. His reptilian features seemed to obscure the fact that he had been crying on that side of his face and his scales were untouched except for blotches of caked and crackled foundation where they met his human half.</p><p>“Hey,” Patton whispered, his thumbs wiping away tear after miserable tear, “it’s okay, Janus. Let me see?” His gaze dropped to the arm clutched tightly to Janus’s chest before returning to the other’s mismatched eyes.</p><p>Janus didn’t move for a few seconds, trembling as he cried silently, then wordlessly held out his limb and allowed Patton to investigate his injury, a hollow, defeated look in his wet eyes. He hiccupped. Patton very carefully pulled the sleeve up and winced at the sight. It wasn’t too bad, but the relative dimness of the room did nothing to hide the starkness of the almost-black blood on Janus’s skin. There were a few small pieces of glass embedded in his flesh, but no evidence of crushed powder or anything that could cause difficulty.</p><p>“Do you have a first aid kit?” the fatherly side asked, gulping. Janus looked in the direction of his bathroom.</p><p>A knock on the still-open door caught their attention. Logan stood there, eyebrows knitted together at the sight before him.</p><p>“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” he asked, looking around at the mess of Janus’s room. His head whipped back toward Janus and down to his arm after spotting the wine, the broken, bloodied bottle, and the dark pool in the rug.</p><p>“Logan!” Patton exclaimed, rising from his knees and twisting toward him, only to be stopped midway by Janus’s uninjured hand grabbing his shirt tightly, the yellow side burying his face into Patton’s chest as fresh sobs wracked his body.</p><p>Logan entered the room, shutting the door behind him and flipping the light switch next to the doorframe. The room was flooded with white light, revealing a thin layer of dust over the previously-dark parts of the room. Janus and Patton flinched at the sudden brightness.</p><p>Logan took a brief moment to study the scene in front of him, eyes lingering on the bloody mess and Janus’s arm, then stepped into the attached bathroom and started pulling open doors and drawers. Patton rose and sat on the arm of the plush chair, rubbing Janus’s back as Logan retrieved the first aid kit and returned to kneel in front of them, carefully removed Janus’s cloak, and inspected the damage for a bit before he began to cautiously remove the glass shards.</p><p>Two sides sat as the third worked in silence, with only Janus’s fading hiccups and occasional sniffling to break it. Patton could feel his own tears building up, but he forced them back, focusing only on his hand on Janus’s back, rubbing hopefully-soothing circles. Janus, for his part, reacted minimally to the removal of the glass, though he did tense up at the sting of the disinfectant. It wasn’t until Logan had almost finished wrapping his arm that Janus said anything.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he whispered.</p><p>Logan paused for a brief moment before he taped the bandage into place.</p><p>“There is no need to apologize for being injured, Janus,” he said.</p><p>“No,” the half-snake shook his head, “I meant about the last video. And the courtroom. I’m sorry. For everything. It was wrong of me to sideline and silence you like that. You deserve better.”</p><p>Logan blinked, tilting his head as he slowly rose to his feet. “I… Thank you.”</p><p>Janus twisted around to look up at Patton. “And you, Patton. When I revealed myself to Thomas. I’m sorry for impersonating you and…” he trailed off. Patton gave him a tired smile.</p><p>“It’s fine, Janus. I forgive you. Water under the bridge.”</p><p>A tense silence filled the room. It made Patton nervous.</p><p>“May I ask what prompted this apologetic impulse?” Logan eyed the wine bottle on the desk but tactfully did not mention it, nor the blatant lies Janus had told them earlier.</p><p>Janus’s shoulders slumped as he stared resolutely at the carpet at his feet, rubbing the fabric of his shirt between his fingers. </p><p>“I’ve just been thinking,” he finally said.</p><p>“About?” Patton placed his hand on Janus’s shoulder. The side immediately leaned into the touch, taking a deep breath before continuing.</p><p>“A few weeks after the wedding, I approached Roman to... apologize. For what I said.”</p><p>“He mentioned this before we called on you,” Logan said. “It did not proceed as you had hoped, I take it.”</p><p>Janus nodded in confirmation. “Prince <em>Charming</em> told me that all I’ve done since my introduction was ruin Thomas’s life. That my plans and schemes only ever ended up making things worse for him. That Thomas only kept me around because he had to, and now that he knows he should take a break every now and then, he doesn’t need me anymore. Roman told me that I wasn’t… I’m not wanted, and <em>he wasn’t lying</em>.”</p><p>A broken mewl slipped past his quivering lips as his tears began anew. Patton rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders as he tried to regain control of his emotions. Logan handed him a box of tissues, which he took and started dabbing at his eyes.</p><p>“All I wanted was for Thomas to be happy, to get what he wanted, even when I knew he hated me. I thought- I thought I could handle it. I’ve <em>been</em> handling it for years.” Another sob, another tissue into the bin. “But I wondered. He sounded so <em>sure</em>. He wasn’t <em>lying</em>. So- so I stepped back.”</p><p>Patton shot a panicked glance at Logan. Logan was also taken aback, and looked like he was about to speak, but Patton beat him to the punch, sliding down to face the yellow side.</p><p>“You- you weren’t thinking of ducking out, were you?”</p><p>Janus shook his head. “I wasn’t going to abandon Thomas. Just let him be. And it worked, didn’t it? He’s doing better than ever. He’s taking care of himself. He’s as honest a person as can be. He doesn’t need me.”</p><p>Patton was trying very hard to keep his voice steady. “What do you mean? Sure, he’s doing well <em>now</em>, but he still needs you! He does! To- to tell him when he needs to be a little more selfish!”</p><p>“And look what happened when I tried to tell him that the first time! I made him think he was a bad person!” Janus wailed. “I just wanted him to see that it’s- that it’s <em>necessary</em> to be selfish sometimes! But all I did was scare him into- to being <em>more</em> selfless!”</p><p>“No, Janus!” His own tears welled up, threatening to fall as he himself shuddered with emotion. “I-I mean, yeah, sure, you made a few mistakes, but so have we. We <em>all</em> made mistakes that day. It’s <em>okay</em>.”</p><p>Patton glanced over at Logan, who looked more than a bit uncomfortable at the turn of events and the outpouring emotions. He shuffled in place, adjusting his tie and looking anywhere but the two bawling sides, though his own eyes were rapidly blinking back tears.</p><p>Patton continued. “If you hadn’t stepped in, Thomas could have been in a very bad place now. You were <em>right</em>. You said it yourself,” he said, smiling. “He needs room to breathe. And so do we.”</p><p>Janus could only cry in response, in stuttering, gasping breaths. “I- I just-!”</p><p>“I know. <em>I know</em>, Janus. But we got there in the end. We learned the lesson you were trying to teach us.” Patton’s tears warped his vision, but he kept his hands cupped around Janus’s face, leaning in to touch their foreheads together.</p><p>Janus’s eyes were still closed as he murmured, “It wouldn’t have gotten so bad if- if I had done my <em>job</em> in the first place. I’m his self-preservation. I’m supposed to protect him from these things.”</p><p>“I know, Janus. It was my fault for pushing him so hard to be Good. You were only pushing back. You were trying to protect him from- from <em>me</em>.”</p><p>“No,” Janus choked out, shaking his head.</p><p>“Janus,” Logan said, his voice soft. “You did the best you could given your circumstances. While we may disagree on your methods, your role in ensuring Thomas’s well-being is undeniable. He needs you.”</p><p>Janus sniffled. Patton leaned back, finally wiped away his own tears, and inched closer to wrap his arms around Janus’s shoulders, slowly enough to give the other side a chance to pull back. Instead, Janus threw his good arm around him and buried his face into Patton’s chest, the last of his weeping forming a wet patch in the fabric of his shirt. Logan turned away to rub at his own eyes.</p><p>Patton squeezed Janus tighter and began gently massaging his back again. “Because of you, I know now that I can be too much. I didn’t know what I was doing, and I didn’t realize that what I <em>was</em> doing was going to hurt Thomas so much. But you did. If it wasn’t for you, I might still be doing it. Thomas needs you. He needs <em>us</em>.”</p><p>Janus let out a deep sigh, along with a few sniffles, leaning more and more into Patton’s chest. Patton held him, and he was going to keep holding him until he was ready to be let go. They stayed like that for several minutes, until Janus squirmed in his arms, pulling back to release a large yawn, giving Patton and Logan a very clear view of his snake-like maw splitting open half of his face.</p><p>Then Janus’s eyes snapped open, recalling his situation and he ducked awkwardly to hide the scaled side of his face, flushing with worry and embarrassment and whatever was left of his drunkenness. It was honestly quite cute, and if they weren’t all exhausted Patton might have teased him a little and Logan’s curiosity might have gotten the better of him. As it was, Patton let out a soft giggle and gave Janus one final squeeze before standing up. He offered him a hand and said, “Come on. It’s late. We should get some sleep.”</p><p>Logan concurred. “Janus, please let me know immediately if your injury hurts or worsens at any point.” He turned to leave, but Patton reached out and stopped him.</p><p>“Janus, you can say no, but would you like either of us to stay here with you tonight?” he asked. </p><p>Janus blinked at the unexpected offer. His lips opened and closed, but he made no sound, eyes flicking between the other two. Eventually, he shook himself out of it and nodded tiredly. Patton and Logan shared a significant look and wordlessly decided they both would stay.</p><p>As Patton helped Janus prepare for bed, Logan busied himself with clearing away the mess of blood, glass, and wine. Patton walked Janus over to the bathroom to let him wash his face and prepare for bed. As he did, the moral side grabbed two sets of pajamas from the wardrobe and changed into one with a snap of his fingers. While awaiting Janus’s return, Patton stood by the bed, watching Logan as he cleaned.</p><p>“Logan?” he said before he could stop himself.</p><p>Logan froze for a brief moment. He slowly turned to face Patton, forcing his face into a neutral expression. He cleared his throat. “Yes, Patton?”</p><p>Patton gave him a watery smile. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>Logan blinked once. He stood a little straighter, a variety of emotions crossing his face before settling on ‘surprised’.</p><p>“I know we didn’t get along too well in the past, and we’ve made a lot of progress since, well, you know. But it never seems to be enough. I feel like every time I learn my lesson, I make a new mistake all over again. With you, and Roman, and Thomas. I panicked when you said all that stuff about philosophy and pity, and I did something I shouldn’t have. So, I’m sorry. For skipping you, and talking over you, and not listening. I want to say I won’t ever do it again, but I don’t even know if I can keep that promise.”</p><p>Logan’s mouth opened. Then it closed. He tried again.</p><p>“Thank you, Patton. I…” he trailed off. Logan’s lips tried to form words, but he seemed to be at an uncharacteristic loss for them, and he finally closed them with a frown.</p><p>Patton nodded sadly. “It’s okay if you’re mad at me. It’s okay if you need time. You don’t have to forgive me, or Janus. But I want you to know that I’m trying, and I think Janus is, too.”</p><p>Logan did not move or speak, and Patton wasn’t going to force him to. So he gave the logical side another small smile and walked over to the door to dim the lights a little. He stayed there and admired the floral flourishes in the door long enough to hear Logan return to setting up his workstation on Janus’s desk.</p><p>The next few minutes passed in silence. Janus stepped out of the bathroom, eyes lowered to the ground. He had to have heard them talking, but gave no indication that he did, and seemed a little surprised when Patton handed the spare set of pajamas. He took them and started changing, either too tired or too drunk to imagine himself into them. Patton slipped into the bathroom.</p><p>When he finished and reentered the room, he saw Janus sitting on the bed, slumped over and looking for all the world as if he hadn’t slept in days. Patton didn’t doubt that may very well have been the case. He walked over to the desk and grabbed two of the three glasses of water Logan had considerately prepared for them, thanking Logan for his thoughtfulness, and handed one to Janus, who took it and sipped listlessly. Patton drained half of his own cup at once and took back Janus’s when it became apparent the side was too exhausted to keep his eyes open.</p><p>Patton took off his glasses and set them on the desk next to Logan’s computer and Janus’s hat, then crawled into the bed and gently pulled Janus down with him, holding him close. Janus’s eyes shut and he immediately drifted off. The lights dimmed completely to darkness, leaving Logan to work, bathed in the blue light of his computer.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You can probably tell this chapter was one I really wanted to write, I think. I just wanted to see Janus cry and be comforted. 😈 And then I wanted to write how it happened and then I wanted to fix the rest of the family’s relationships... I only have myself to blame. Thanks for reading and have a great day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Virgil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Guess Virgil finally decided to show up.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was almost four in the morning when Virgil finally emerged from his room and trudged down the steps toward the kitchen for something to eat. While the anxious side knew he would have to deal with… <em>things</em>... at some point, he just wasn’t ready for it. And no, it had <em>nothing</em> to do with the fact that Thomas’s confused and betrayed face had stuck in his mind and would not leave.</p>
<p>He didn’t know if he would ever be ready.</p>
<p>It was now several weeks after the wedding. Virgil had shut himself in his room the moment Thomas had gotten home and had stayed there since. He hadn’t ducked out, not after what happened last time, but he wasn’t exactly returning anyone’s calls either. He’d known there was an aftermath, a big one, but he was still tired and reeling from recent events that he couldn’t quite bring himself to face anyone just yet. Thus, his now-frequent pre-dawn visits to the kitchen when he was certain no one else was awake to stop and confront him.</p>
<p>Forcefully shoving aside the guilt-ridden memories, he snatched a half-empty bag of granola and pulled an energy drink from the fridge, cracking it open and taking a sip as he turned to leave.</p>
<p>Which was when he walked directly into someone else.</p>
<p>Virgil jerked backward, stumbling, but remained standing. He cursed as he spilled his drink down the front of his favorite shirt and hoodie. Groaning, he set down the can and his snack on the counter and seized a roll of paper towels to pat himself dry with, hoping the other side would just ignore him and go about their business.</p>
<p>“Virgil?”</p>
<p>Virgil groaned internally, and turned to face him.</p>
<p>Roman had dressed down from his usual getup into a simple t-shirt and shorts. He seemed a bit worn out, though not in a way that looked like he’d just woken up, and his hair was disheveled and damp. Did he just take a shower? At three in the morning? He waved his hand in Virgil’s direction, and the mess was gone.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Virgil mumbled. He put the paper towels back and picked up his stuff, ready to bolt out of there, but stopped when he noticed Roman hadn’t moved, standing there with a pensive, far-off look on his face. Virgil glanced at the doorway, then back to Roman, then off to the side at nothing in particular, worrying his bottom lip. Then he sighed and addressed the other side.</p>
<p>“Hey. Earth to Princey?”</p>
<p>Roman’s startled gaze jumped to the purple-clad side.</p>
<p>“Oh, sorry,” he said, stepping aside to let him pass, bowing his head as he gestured to the door. Virgil rolled his eyes, set down his food once again, and jumped up to sit on the counter. He patted the empty countertop beside him.</p>
<p>“C’mon, man. What’s up?”</p>
<p>Roman’s mouth dropped open for a second as he stared uncomprehendingly. Virgil raised an eyebrow at him. Roman blinked a few times before plodding over to lean back against the counter next to the emo, arms folded across his chest. A tense quiet filled the air as Virgil waited for Roman to collect his thoughts.</p>
<p>The longer the silence stretched, the antsier Virgil felt. Why was Roman up right now? Why was he here? Did he follow him? Had the prince slept at all? Why not? Was there a problem? Was it about what Virgil had revealed to Thomas about being one of the Others, one of the ‘dark sides’? His fingers rapped with increasing frequency against the edge of the countertop as regret began to smother his thoughts, when Roman finally spoke.</p>
<p>“Do you think I’m evil?” he asked.</p>
<p>Virgil stilled as the question processed through his racing mind, then he twisted his head to stare incredulously at the royal beside him.</p>
<p>“<em>What?</em> Roman, you’re nobler than the rest of us put together!”</p>
<p>It didn’t seem to affect him. “Did I make the wrong choice?”</p>
<p>Virgil’s face scrunched up in confusion until he realized what Roman was talking about. He sighed. “Of course not. You picked going to the wedding because it was the right thing to do.” </p>
<p>The crease between Roman’s eyebrows deepened as his jaw clenched. </p>
<p>Shit. Was that the wrong answer?</p>
<p>“Roman,” Virgil pressed, teeth gritted, “who said you were evil? Remus? <em>Deceit</em>?”</p>
<p>He didn’t answer. Virgil pushed himself off the counter and stood in front of the princely side, grabbing his shoulders.</p>
<p>“It was, wasn’t it? You <em>know</em> everything he says is a lie, <em>you can’t trust him</em>!”</p>
<p>Roman let out a deep sigh and dragged a hand down his face. “I know, Virgil. But he had a point.”</p>
<p>Virgil snarled at that. “Oh, do <em>not</em> start with that bullshit. He’s <em>wrong</em>. <em>You are not evil</em>. He’s just trying to mess with you!”</p>
<p>“No, not that!” Roman said, exasperated, “I meant about the wedding. The callback. He was right. I <em>wanted</em> to go to the callback. <em>Thomas</em> wanted to go to the callback. We wanted it so <em>bad</em>.”</p>
<p>Roman hugged himself more tightly. Virgil loosened his grip, then let go, shoving his hands back into the pockets of his hoodie. </p>
<p>The damn wedding. <em>Again</em>. Virgil wanted nothing more than to slap- no, <em>punch</em> Deceit for everything he did that day, with the stupid courtroom and that absolute mockery of a trial. <em>God</em>, he was an ass. Even if he had a point (which he <em>totally did not</em>), was it worth potentially losing Lee and Mary Lee’s friendship for a callback, no matter how big of a opportunity it was?</p>
<p>Even if it meant Thomas could <em>finally</em> take a huge step forward with his career after so long?</p>
<p>Roman’s voice cut through Virgil’s thoughts. “But I sentenced Thomas to the wedding and he was <em>miserable</em>. And now I realize that maybe I should have thought it through a little more. I was so eager to prove that Thomas was a Good Person that I failed in my quest to fulfill his dreams.” His shoulders slumped back down. “I’m not his hero anymore.”</p>
<p>Those five words struck Virgil harder than he thought was possible.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I tried <em>so hard</em>. I thought I learned my lesson with you. So, I let the Fibber on the Roof have a chance. Hell, I <em>wanted</em> to side with him. But that was Wrong, so then I followed <em>your</em> lead and I didn’t trust a word he said. But then after the wedding, Thomas and Patton decided he was trustworthy after all and now I don’t know <em>what</em> to believe.”</p>
<p>“Wait, hold on. Thomas and Patton did <em>what?</em>”</p>
<p>“When we got home after the wedding, Thomas was so angry. He didn’t think showing up just to say hello and be ignored for the rest of the night was worth missing the callback. So, Patton and I tried to talk it out with him, figure out why we’re supposed to do the Right Thing.” Roman sighed, sweeping back his hair with a hand, then throwing his arms out dramatically as he continued. “Things got messy. Patton turned into a giant frog, and then <em>he</em> shows up, says a few things about mental health, and suddenly everyone trusts <em>him</em> and <em>I’m</em> the bad guy for saying we shouldn’t!”</p>
<p>Virgil’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. How had he missed all that? “<em>That’s</em> what happened in the last video?”</p>
<p>Roman shrugged. “More or less.”</p>
<p>Virgil bit his lip, sighed, and asked the foremost question on his mind. “What did he say? To make them trust him?”</p>
<p>The prince was quiet for a moment, staring intensely at the ground next to his feet. “He told us his name.”</p>
<p>Virgil stared at Roman, his mouth hanging open in shock. <em>What?</em></p>
<p>“That’s a big deal for you dark sides, yeah? He said that Thomas needed ‘room to breathe’. That it was okay to be selfish and take time for himself. But when <em>I</em> pointed out that he probably had some kind of ulterior motive, no one believed me.” He gave a small, humorless chuckle. “Could’ve used your help there, Eeyore.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Virgil said, not quite knowing how else to respond. “You usually do, Princey.”</p>
<p>They stood there in silence. Virgil, mind buzzing with so many thoughts and tangents, looked off to the side and, upon seeing his long-forgotten snack on the counter, recalled why he had come down there in the first place. So much had happened since he’d sequestered himself in his room, convinced that he’d been giving Thomas a chance to come to terms with not only his disappointment about the callback but also Virgil’s past as one of the Others. Yet here Virgil was, standing in the kitchen with a dejected Creativity and news that Thomas had apparently already accepted another of them without him even knowing.</p>
<p>“Do you think Remus is evil?” Roman asked suddenly, still staring at the ground.</p>
<p>Virgil blinked in confusion. “Huh?” he said, very eloquently.</p>
<p>“My brother?” Roman clarified, as if it was the most logical thing to say at that point, which it wasn’t. (Or maybe it was, but now was not the time.)</p>
<p>Virgil stared for a moment, then said, “I mean, I guess not? He creeps me out a lot, but he’s never actually <em>hurt</em> me. I mean, he wasn’t <em>that</em> bad to hang out with, and he did try to drag me into his shit a couple times but he stopped when I told him to, so I guess there’s that...” He rubbed the back of his neck.</p>
<p>Roman smiled ruefully. “Yeah. He certainly is a strange one. Of all the things he respects, consent is highest among them.”</p>
<p>“Try telling Thomas that.”</p>
<p>“Give Ree a <em>little</em> credit, it’s not like he forces Thomas to <em>act</em> on his suggestions.”</p>
<p>Virgil scoffed. “What’s consensual about giving Thomas sick, intrusive thoughts he doesn’t want?”</p>
<p>“Touché,” Roman admitted, “But I suppose he can’t help it. It is kind of his job, after all.” </p>
<p><em>Like yours is as Anxiety</em>, he didn’t say.</p>
<p>More silence. Virgil was still overwhelmed, his thoughts swirling every which way, half a dozen different things vying for his attention, only managing to deepen the pit of guilt and dread in his stomach.</p>
<p>The prince turned his head the other way and let out a long sigh. “Sorry for getting all emo on you. I know that’s usually <em>your</em> thing,” he said, pushing himself away from the counter and walking over to the coffee machine. “I won’t keep you any longer. You can go back to hiding from everyone in your room.”</p>
<p>Virgil was extremely conflicted. He could take the out and leave, but he kind of, maybe, didn't want to. Roman’s gloominess was just so unlike him, and everything he’d said tonight was extremely worrying. Virgil was also pretty certain Roman was holding something back. The prince himself was entirely focused on his task of making a cup of coffee and obstinately did not acknowledge Virgil’s questioning stare, only asking if the anxious side would like a cup as well.</p>
<p>He didn’t know how to restart the conversation after Roman’s obvious dismissal. What he needed was time to think things over.</p>
<p>So he left. He mumbled a goodbye, picked up his granola and his lukewarm energy drink, and made his way back to his room, his thoughts in turmoil.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don’t be like Virgil (or me) and stay up until four in the morning. Please get some sleep and a proper meal, and remember to hydrate! (maybe not in that order...) Thank you for reading!<br/>(Don't worry, Mim, I haven’t stayed up ‘til 4:00 for like a week now.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Logan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Logan does a lot of thinking.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Logan had finished up his report on the details of the previous day’s events just as sunrise was occurring in the real world, about an hour before Thomas’s alarm was set to ring. The sky of the mindscape outside of Janus’s window was still entirely dark, however, reflecting Thomas’s sleeping habits and consciousness more than they reflected reality. Logan rubbed at his eyes, then took a sip of his water before saving his documents twice over. Logan allowed himself a single moment of pride in his efficiency and productivity before beginning his next task: reviewing and finalizing his personal schedule for the day.</p>
<p>The review itself was routine and methodical, and Logan found his thoughts drifting, eventually settling on Patton’s apology.</p>
<p><em>Was</em> Logan mad at him? Could he admit, if only to himself, that he was <em>upset</em> about his continual neglect?</p>
<p>Because he was. He was upset. He was angry. He was a number of things he didn’t want to be.</p>
<p>Logan knew that Thomas was an emotional man, unconsciously (or not) bending to the whims of sympathy whenever and wherever they appeared. The most that Logan could hope to do, as his logical side, was offer his skills and support in whichever way Thomas would accept them. He couldn’t be ignored so constantly without repercussion. Yet it seemed whatever he tried - allowing the others to take over the conversation and steer it in ineffectual directions, playing along with their ridiculous antics, even reducing his own presence to simply providing facts and supporting arguments - Thomas hardly seemed to notice. And Logan knew if he brought this up, they would all “feel bad” about it and promise to do better, only to fall back into the same pattern again, as Patton had realized just last night.</p>
<p>It would be easier to let them talk over him, to fade into the background and let the others run Thomas’s life to a standstill with their ceaseless bickering. But they weren’t <em>trying</em> to ruin his life. But without Logan’s intellectual faculties at his disposal, Thomas could and likely would be severely disadvantaged. But the other sides were only trying to do what they thought was best, but they had made very little progress, but they <em>had</em> made progress all the same, but, but, but.</p>
<p>And then there was the revelation that Janus had ‘stepped back’, not removing his presence entirely from Thomas, as Virgil had by ‘ducking out’, but by relinquishing all but the most basic of his influence to see how Thomas fared without him. From Janus’s admission last night, it seemed to have worked; Thomas had neither noticed nor suffered from his absence and was indeed implementing the lessons he had learned about taking better care of himself.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Was Roman correct in his assessment? Did Thomas not need him?</p>
<p>Logan leaned on the desk with his elbows, his face in his hands, letting out a quiet groan. No wonder the others kept derailing their conversations in seemingly random trajectories whenever they <em>felt</em> things. Emotions were so <em>complicated</em>; illogical, irrational things, swirling in inescapable and intangible whorls that left him disoriented. </p>
<p>He focused on his breathing for a few moments and started sorting out his myriad thoughts, categorizing them based on urgency and usefulness.</p>
<p>First: last night’s events, and Janus’s drinking in particular. He’d apparently had a little more than a bottle and a half of wine before they’d called him up, which could suggest a dependence, or at least a severe lack of restraint. Neither was a good indicator for his mental state. That would need to be addressed, and the sooner the better.</p>
<p>Second: Patton’s apology. It would be best if Logan forgave him, if he wanted to be able to speak to the moral side again without having to face those guilty eyes every time. Still, they would need to talk. Logan put it at the bottom of his list.</p>
<p>Third: his emotions. Those could be explored and dealt with later. That task went lower than the previous point.</p>
<p>One of the others shifted in the bed, letting out a soft huff, but neither woke.</p>
<p>Fourth: his meeting with Thomas. Logan would need to discuss it with Janus, to show he was serious about cooperating. Informing and negotiating with Janus what he planned to say to Thomas might convince the side that he could trust them in the future, and avoid more secrets and outbursts like last night’s.</p>
<p>Last: Roman’s assertion. Roman was wrong. Of course Thomas needed Janus. Thomas needed <em>all</em> of his sides, because they <em>were</em> Thomas. Which meant Roman had, somehow, deceived Janus, who should have caught the lie. Yet he didn’t. This warranted further investigation.</p>
<p>Thomas’s alarm rang, at which point light streamed through Janus’s window and the sky beyond it brightened rapidly as Thomas returned to consciousness. The warmth and brightness roused the two sleeping sides, whose movement caught Logan’s attention.</p>
<p>Patton, the first to rise as usual, yawned and stretched and attempted to move, only to realize Janus had wrapped his six arms tightly around him and was clinging quite tenaciously onto the moral side. Patton glanced over to Logan and gave him an awkward smile. Logan responded with a curt nod and returned his focus to finishing his planning for the day.</p>
<p>Logan heard more than saw Janus awaken, the partially-reptilian side mumbling as he fought consciousness for a few more minutes before finally relenting to it.</p>
<p>“Mmph. Wuh? Patt’n?”</p>
<p>“Mornin’, Jan,” Patton replied with a yawn. There was the sound of rustling as someone clambered quickly out of the bed.</p>
<p>With his task completed, Logan saved all of his work twice over and closed his laptop, turning towards the bed. Janus was standing on the other side, arms in wild disarray, the human half of his face bright red, staring scandalized at Patton, whose eyes were squinted in confusion. Logan handed back the moral side his glasses, and he sluggishly put them on.</p>
<p>Janus adjusted his gaze to stare at Logan, who raised a brow in response. Janus then straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and turned around to enter the bathroom.</p>
<p>Patton sat up on the bed, stretching.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Lo,” he said with a small smile.</p>
<p>Logan returned the greeting, and they sat in silence, listening to the rumble of the plumbing as Janus engaged in his morning ablutions. Patton sat in the bed, mindlessly fiddling with the sheets. Logan simply sat, considering how he would go about bringing up his thoughts with the present group in as inoffensive a manner as possible.</p>
<p>Janus stepped out of the bathroom dressed in his normal attire, gloves and all (sans hat), apparently having changed into it while inside. He walked over to his desk, which Logan had yet to vacate, and snatched up his bowler hat, tugging it on with a decisiveness that neither of the others missed. Logan exchanged a glance with Patton, who frowned.</p>
<p>“Not that I don’t appreciate your concern, but as last night’s debacle is over now, you two should be getting on your way. I’m sure Thomas will be needing you,” Janus said delicately.</p>
<p>Patton rose from the bed. He was still dressed in Janus’s silk pinstripe pajamas. “Janus, wait! We still have to talk about-”</p>
<p>“There is <em>nothing</em> to discuss, Patton,” Janus spat, raising his chin at the fatherly side and squaring his shoulders.</p>
<p>Patton’s expression could only be described as crestfallen. Then his expression hardened.</p>
<p>“Janus,” he started, before Janus cut him off.</p>
<p>“I thank you both for your kindness and care last night. It will not happen again. And I would rather have it never leave this room.” Janus laid a hand on his injured arm, rubbing it slightly as he spoke.</p>
<p>Logan rose from his seat. “Actually, I would like to discuss that, Janus.”</p>
<p>Janus glared at him. “I just said-”</p>
<p>“I promised Thomas I would tell him what occurred when I came to check on you and Patton. Obviously, I would prefer to tell him the whole truth, but if it unsettles you so greatly, I can choose not to disclose certain details of those events.”</p>
<p>Janus gave a frustrated huff and crossed his arms. “Just tell him everything is <em>fine</em>.”</p>
<p>“As I said, I would prefer to tell him the truth. You may be able to silence me-” Janus winced. “-but Thomas would likely notice and question why I am censoring myself.”</p>
<p>Janus averted his eyes, glaring with intensity at his rumpled bedsheets.</p>
<p>“Janus, I did not mention this last night due to your obvious distress, but I am aware that you lied to us when I asked if you were hiding something from us, nor did I fail to notice the excess of alcohol you imbibed last night. Why did you not tell us?”</p>
<p>“I’m <em>sssorry</em>, I thought we were talking about <em>Thomas</em>, not little old <em>me</em>. What I do in the comfort and <em>privacy</em> of <em>my room</em> is <em>my businessss</em>,” he hissed.</p>
<p>“As a part of Thomas, what you do <em>and feel</em> does have an effect on him. Your emotional turmoil was strong enough to alert Patton to try to discuss it with Thomas, in an attempt to prevent another occurrence of what happened throughout the wedding fiasco.”</p>
<p>Janus’s lips pulled back into a snarl as he opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by a quiet but resolute word from Patton.</p>
<p>“Janus.”</p>
<p>Immediately, Janus shut his eyes and his mouth. He exhaled sharply, then allowed his face to return to a more neutral expression. His eyes remained closed, and Logan could see him mouthing numbers as he counted to himself.</p>
<p>“Janus,” Patton tried again, more gently, “it’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to be afraid. We’re here to help. We don’t want to hurt you, and we don't want you to hurt yourself.”</p>
<p>Logan could see Janus’s eyelids pinching together from the effort of keeping them closed.</p>
<p>"I'm <em>fine</em>. Everything is <em>fine</em>," he muttered.</p>
<p>"Falsehood," Logan asserted. "You are clearly not 'fine', and trying to convince yourself otherwise is not in any way conducive to your recovery."</p>
<p>Janus clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, eyes still shut. </p>
<p>"We care about you, Janus," Patton said.</p>
<p>Janus finally opened his eyes and scoffed, gesticulating dramatically with one hand as he spoke. "Of <em>course</em> you do. You care about <em>me</em>, and not the fact that Thomas might suffer without me around to do my job. Because I'm <em>sure</em> Thomas would do quite <em>wonderfully</em> without his sense of self-preservation, wouldn't he?"</p>
<p>Logan closed his own eyes and sighed deeply. "That is incorrect, and, I suspect, a deliberate misinterpretation of our meaning. Janus, you are a valued part of Thomas, not only for your function but as a fellow side. We may not get along at times but your contributions are necessary and desired."</p>
<p>"Yeah!" Patton interjected with a determined nod.</p>
<p>Janus turned his face away.</p>
<p>"Don't… don't lie to me," he said, quietly.</p>
<p>"We are not lying. You simply refuse to believe the truth."</p>
<p>Janus trembled.</p>
<p>“And the truth is,” Logan said, “we care about you. And we want to know you’re well, in every way.”</p>
<p>The yellow side took a deep breath, pinching his nose. Then he turned back to Logan and asked, “What about you?”</p>
<p>Logan blinked. “We’re not talking about me.”</p>
<p>“Why not? You are Thomas’s logical side, his curiosity, his thirst for knowledge, his love of learning. Yet he and the others, including me, ignore you <em>all the time</em>. Why don’t you care more about yourself?”</p>
<p>Logan adjusted his glasses, ignoring Patton as the moral side turned to fix his worried gaze on him. “I admit that it does... <em>frustrate</em> me when Thomas consistently chooses to prioritize his more fanciful and emotional wants over more logical needs. But, as I said, we are not talking about me. You and Patton already apologized for your part in it last night. All I can ask is that you refrain from doing such things again.”</p>
<p>“And if I don’t? If I decide Thomas needs you to shut up for his own good? What if I silenced you <em>permanently</em>?” Janus snarled. “You should hate me!”</p>
<p>Janus may have been right. As the personification of Thomas’s logic, Logan was a strong adherent of truth and fact and should be categorically opposed to Janus’s use of deceit and manipulation. But Janus was also the side of Thomas that put him first and foremost, the side of him that would do whatever it took to keep himself safe. Without him, Thomas may not have survived long enough to do the things he wanted to do. To perform their roles adequately, all sides of Thomas needed to cooperate.</p>
<p>And there lay the crux of the issue. Logan considered his next words very carefully.</p>
<p>“Whether or not I feel any such emotion is beside the point. Thomas has accepted you and offered you a seat at the metaphorical table, and we should respect that decision.”</p>
<p>Patton looked between the two of them, concern very apparent on his face. “Guys-”</p>
<p>“You should all hate me! I oppose Patton’s entire purpose, my mere <em>existence</em> aggravates Virgil, and I upset Roman so badly he’s thrown himself into a self-destructive commitment to Thomas’s work!”</p>
<p>Janus’s outburst left him hunched over, panting, teeth bared, gloved hands closed tightly into fists. Then, all at once, he sagged, his expression overtaken by utter defeat, eyes cast down to the rug-less floor at Logan's feet. His last claim about Roman was concerning, but Logan filed it away under his mental checklist for a later time as Janus spoke again.</p>
<p>“I just don’t get <em>why</em> you care. Not after everything I’ve done.”</p>
<p>A long silence followed his words. Logan tried not to let his annoyance show on his face from the cyclical arguments Janus kept using. The logical side knew it was likely a defensive tactic to frustrate them into giving up and leaving him alone. But Logan was done with it. He needed to convince Janus that they did care, one way or another. He met Patton’s worried look with a cool, determined glare and, somehow, the other understood.</p>
<p>“We care because we’re your friends.” Patton stepped around the bed frame, and placed a hesitant hand on Janus’s shoulder, smiling sadly. “Or we’d like to be. Right, Logan?”</p>
<p>Logan paused for a moment. Janus seemed determined to disbelieve them.</p>
<p>“While I cannot say my primary desire is to ‘make friends’, it would benefit us all to learn how to work more cooperatively with each other.”</p>
<p>Janus scoffed.</p>
<p>“Janus, I understand that you may not believe us, due to the alleged veracity of Roman’s comment. Therefore, I will now utter several outright falsehoods, and you may verify for yourself that what we have been saying is true.”</p>
<p>Janus did not answer or move, but he was looking at Logan out of the corner of his eyes.</p>
<p>“The sky is green. I despise Crofter’s jam. My name is Patton. We are not anthropomorphized figments of Thomas’s imagination meant to represent facets of his personality. Thomas’s life has been, and will always be, easy to navigate.”</p>
<p>Logan stopped when Janus’s head snapped up, eyes narrowed and suspicious. Logan looked back with a cool, indifferent gaze. Janus’s glare narrowed even more, then softened, and the corners of his lips twitched upward for a moment.</p>
<p>"You really do mean it."</p>
<p>Logan nodded. "Of course. We all want what is best for Thomas, even if we disagree on what that means. And as we learned with Virgil's acceptance, listening to and communicating with each other improves our understanding of one another, which in turn improves our ability to work together, and that in itself is worth the effort."</p>
<p>“Is it?” Janus’s voice wavered infinitesimally.</p>
<p>Patton nodded. “Of course it’s worth it. <em>You’re</em> worth it, you little rap-<em>scaly</em>-on.”</p>
<p>The small, barely-present smile on Janus's face widened a little more, and he stood a little straighter. Patton's mouth stretched into a full grin. Even Logan allowed himself a small, celebratory smile. One task completed.</p>
<p>But there were other concerns to address. Logan cleared his throat to secure the others’ attention.</p>
<p>“There is also the matter of your drinking, Janus. How typical is it that you drink the amount of alcohol you did last night?”</p>
<p>Janus’s smile faded. “It won’t happen again,” he said firmly.</p>
<p>Logan’s eyes narrowed. “My apologies for distrusting you, Janus, but I cannot believe that so easily. As we have just said, we care about your health, and excessive drinking is known to be linked to poor mental health. If our concern is not enough to convince you, then my point from earlier must suffice: for Thomas to function adequately, it is imperative that we are not impaired ourselves.”</p>
<p>Logan stared hard at Janus, searching for any signs or microexpressions that might indicate he intended to be difficult. Janus resolutely held his gaze for a minute, then looked away, toward Patton. Patton gave him a squeeze on his shoulder and nodded, giving him an encouraging smile. Janus sighed.</p>
<p>“Perhaps you should keep the liquor cabinet locked for a while,” he conceded.</p>
<p>“Very well,” Logan said, adding it to his mental list. Second task completed, if only partially.</p>
<p>“That was very brave of you, Janus,” Patton said softly, giving him a hug, “I’m so proud of you, kiddo.” Janus smiled sadly.</p>
<p>Logan cleared his throat again. “So, Janus, allow me to ask you once more: is there anything you do not want me to disclose to Thomas until a later time?”</p>
<p>Janus’s smile pulled downwards into a slight frown and he stared into Logan’s eyes, saying nothing. Logan and Patton remained quiet as he considered his answer.</p>
<p>“I think-”</p>
<p>He was interrupted by a loud, incessant banging at his door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Janus just wants to be difficult and avoid his issues, but he’s not gonna let the others do the same if it’s the last thing he does.<br/>And I gave Logan so many brain cells he somehow developed some emotional tact and maturity oops 😬</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Remus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A wild Remus emerges! (Finally!)</p><p>Warnings: disturbing descriptions and imagery (bugs/insects, mentions of blood and injuries, mentions of murder and gore), innuendos, cursing, panic attack</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Remus was on vacation.</p><p>He was still technically on the job, of course, but he was letting Thomas have a <em>bit</em> of a break from all the worst parts of himself, especially after all that fuckery with Janus and the wedding. He couldn’t resist sending along some of his <em>juicier</em> suggestions to Thomas, but he’d mostly refrained from following up with them. It wasn’t hard, since he knew he’d come up with much better ideas later anyway. That and he’d forgotten half of them already. Remus had been working so much harder, better, faster, and stronger ever since J-Deceitful decided to shake things up like a jar of very angry, exploding bees with the whole courtroom thing. And now that all of <em>that</em> was over and Janus had convinced Thomas to listen to him for once, the snake had asked Remus to lay low for a bit to let them all recover. He agreed, though not before taunting him a bit about evil twins and slimy serpents. The pained, shaken look he’d gotten in return was <em>delicious</em>.</p><p>Remus wasn’t actually all that angry - he’d been trying to get Janus ‘Classy’ ‘Nothing Is Black And White’ Sanders to call him ‘evil’ for years, to little success - but tearing down his brother with it? Not cool. <em><span class="small"></span></em><span class="small"><strike>Only Remus got to do that.<em></em></strike></span></p><p>Besides, Remus felt he deserved the break. Steering clear of everyone who was pissing him off, likely to piss him off, or might piss him off was probably for the best, and the intrusive thot was trying to enjoy his freedom and solitude.</p><p>Or at least, he <em>was,</em> until last night.</p><p>There he was, in full Dukey regalia underneath a neon pink bathrobe, curlers in his hair, wearing a stylin’ pair of Warby Parker shades, reclined on a lounge seat on a glittering beach littered with the carcasses of washed-up sea creatures and rotting algae, sipping on his drink (he’d been craving so much alcohol lately), and watching the turbulent waves wash ashore in the moonlight. He was particularly enjoying the way the seaweed swayed within the water, like hungry tendrils of some eldritch beast waiting just beneath the surface, ready to seize and consume whatever unwary prey came too close, when Roman stormed in just after midnight, only to stop in utter bafflement when he stumbled into the sand and saw Remus. It was a great look on him. Then he had to ruin it by demanding a duel.</p><p>Remus had raised an eyebrow at him then. It was an unexpected but not unwelcome interruption, and Remus was starting to get bored anyway, so he snapped his fingers, returning his room (and himself) to its normal state of perfectly organized chaos, and they began to fight.</p><p>It became quite clear from the ferocity Roman displayed in their ensuing sparring that his brother was letting off quite a lot of pent up emotion. Well, that, and the very loud thoughts that Remus could hear clamoring through his own head.</p><p><em>Oh, Roman. Thank </em>god<em> you don't have a mustache…</em></p><p>Raging.</p><p>
  <em>otherwise, </em>
</p><p>Resentful.</p><p>
  <em>between you and Remus...</em>
</p><p>Relentless.</p><p>
  <em>I wouldn’t know who the evil twin is.</em>
</p><p>Red, like fresh, hot blood spilled on white snow. Remus snapped his fingers. The blood disappeared, and Roman’s wound was healed, but the red lingered in his mind.</p><p>Now, Remus wasn’t <em>unaware</em> of the particulars of the last episode. He thought Roman was being a drama queen, as per usual, and it wasn’t like it wasn’t obvious which of them Thomas <em>actually</em> thought was evil. Still, his brother wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind at the best of times, so Remus had kept his distance. It wasn’t like anyone would miss him. And if they wanted to seek him out, god forbid, they knew where to find him. And Roman had.</p><p>They fought for a good couple of hours, hardly taking breaks and healing their injuries with another snap of the fingers. Perks of being a figment of Thomas’s imagination, Remus supposed. Remus changed the scenery every so often, sometimes mid-swing, just to keep Roman on his toes. Roman didn’t seem to notice much.</p><p>And if Remus had decided enough was enough and his taunts and teasing gradually became advice on how to silence unwelcome, intrusive thoughts, well, whatever worked. Eventually, they slowed, then stopped, and Roman had asked him a question.</p><p>Remus answered him.</p><p>Roman left.</p><p>Hours later, Remus lay in his bed, thinking. Judging by the light of the Mindscape outside, Thomas was awake now, and there were things that needed doing.</p><p>Time to get back to work.</p><p>Something else was bugging him, wriggling like maggots under the skin of his mind. Remus finally paid heed to some of the other thoughts drifting like seaweed through his mind. Most of them were standard fare - <em>what do you think would happen if you woke up dead tomorrow?</em> - but there was one voice that felt… loud. Well, louder than usual.</p><p><em>They’ve lost any respect they ever had for you. They don’t </em>actually<em> care about you. Really, you want to have another drink now, before you’ve even had breakfast? They’re lying. They’re lying.</em> They are lying.</p><p>
  <em>This is all your fault.</em>
</p><p>Smooth and sickly sweet, like honey-drowned larvae, weaving silky golden thread in loops, around and around and around, until it chokes.</p><p>With a beleaguered sigh, Remus hopped to his feet. Time to go fix things between his brother and his one remaining best friend (even if Janus was an asshole sometimes). Possibly Virgil, too. Or.... he <em>could</em> make them worse. Eh, he’d decide when he got there.</p><p>Well, he would have if he hadn’t gotten distracted by a slam from the hallway and the sound of angry footsteps passing by. He stuck his head out of his own door and, what luck! It was Virgil.</p><p>Who jumped about a foot into the air at the sudden appearance of Remus’s head, held up by the hair like an executioner presenting his most recent victim.</p><p>“Holy shit!”</p><p>“Oh hi there!” Remus grinned widely.</p><p>Virgil drew back in horror, a disgusted look on his face. “Dude! Put that back!”</p><p>Remus grinned, unblinking, as he replaced his head. He cracked his neck for extra measure. Virgil winced.</p><p>“So, where are you going so early in the morning? Aren’t you usually falling asleep to your emo shit by now?” Remus exited his room to stand in the hallway, the door, eerily quiet, closing itself behind him.</p><p>Virgil shrank back and hissed. Remus put a finger to his chin in mock contemplation.</p><p>“Ooh, I know! You finally decided to-”</p><p>“<em>No</em>. Whatever fucked up thing you’re about to say, no. Go back to your room and <em>leave me alone</em>.”</p><p>“How about I don’t?”</p><p>“Gah, whatever,” Virgil said as he turned and kept walking. Remus followed him, leaning forward with hands held behind his back and eyes wide as he stared at Virgil with a little too much interest.</p><p>“C’mon, Virgy-poo, you can tell me! Aren’t we <em>friends</em>?”</p><p>Virgil froze for a second, then continued stomping with renewed vigor. </p><p>Right up to Janus’s door. Virgil had some excellent timing, all things considered. Remus was getting all his little ducks in a row without even trying, but now he had to consider how he was going to bash their heads in. With words, and not his morning star. <em>Very</em> important distinction, he’d discovered.</p><p>Virgil stopped in front of it, glaring at the pale yellow wood, decorated with some fancy, swirly bronze stuff. Though it seemed more like he was trying to burn a hole through it than admire it. He exhaled sharply. With a clenched fist, he hammered the wood with unexpected force.</p><p>He kept beating on the door until it opened, mid-swing, and Virgil barely caught himself before he smacked his fist into Patton’s nose.</p><p>Oh, <em>my</em>.</p><p>Virgil was taken completely by surprise. “<em>Patton?</em>”</p><p>Patton gave what Remus assumed was supposed to be a smile but looked more like he was extremely uncomfortable and was trying really hard to pretend he wasn’t. “Oh hey, Virge! And... Remus.”</p><p>“Heigh-ho, Pattoncake! How’s it hanging?” Remus leered.</p><p>Patton almost took a step back, but didn’t, and glanced over his shoulder quickly. “Look, it’s not a good time right now, can you maybe come back later?”</p><p>“What are you doing in <em>Deceit’s room</em>?” Virgil asked.</p><p>“Having a party of two with Double D, daddio?” Remus waggled his eyebrows suggestively.</p><p>“N-no! We just- I mean- <em>I</em> wanted to... have a... sleepover?” Patton cringed at the lie. Remus could just <em>see</em> Janus pulling a face at how bad it was.</p><p>Remus’s eyes and his grin widened even more, if that was possible. (It was.) “Oh, <em>worm</em>?”</p><p>Patton did take a step back at that, giving Virgil enough space to push past him and into the room. Then he stopped suddenly, glowering darkly at Janus, who stood there pretending to examine his fingernails as if he wasn’t wearing gloves. Remus slunk into the room after him, grinning at Patton as he passed by.</p><p>“What the <em>fuck</em> do you think you’re doing?” Virgil growled.</p><p>“More like <em>who</em> the fuck,” Remus muttered, spotting Logan standing with a palm applied directly to his forehead, clearly already at his limit with everything. And it was only a quarter past eight in the morning, that had to be a new record.</p><p>“Nothing at all, Virgil. You know how I just <em>love</em> having uninvited visitors barging into my room in the morning.”</p><p>“Cut the bullshit, Deceit. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’m putting a stop to it.”</p><p>“And what makes you think you <em>can</em> stop me?”</p><p>Virgil’s expression darkened and his voice deepened even more. “Roman told me what you said,” he snarled. “About him being <em>evil</em>.”</p><p>That shut Janus up. Remus watched Janus’s hands clench, trembling, as he straightened his back, eyes widened in anger.</p><p><em>Oh, Roman. Thank </em>god<em> you don't have a mustache. Otherwise, between you and Remus, I wouldn’t know who the evil twin is.</em></p><p>The words rang loudly in Remus’s mind, just as they did so many countless times last night in Roman’s, just as they did in Janus’s now, drowning out everything else in a fever pitch. Remus smirked. Looks like the show was finally about to begin.</p><p>“Virgil-” Patton started to say, only to be silenced by a sharp, maniac glare from Remus. Oh, how he <em>enjoyed</em> this power. He wondered if Janus got a similar thrill from it. Who was he kidding, of course he did, have you <em>seen</em> the way he acts and dresses?</p><p>Virgil didn’t notice any of it, incensed as he was. “<em>Fuck you</em>. At least Thomas <em>needs</em> Roman. Unlike <em>you</em>.” </p><p>Janus paled, his anger disappearing like a bucket of chum in a sea of starving sharks. His trembling became much more obvious. He blinked rapidly, eyes shining.</p><p>Remus’s grin was starting to hurt. “What’s wrong, Jay-nus? Can’t take what you dish out?” he said quietly.</p><p>Janus seemed to notice him, then. His eyes took on a terrified glint, as if he’d stumbled upon a fresh corpse at the foot of a murderer in a horror film. He took a step back. Then another. And another, where he hit the bedframe. Virgil followed him step for step, teeth bared in a snarling growl, only to stop short when Janus slid to the floor and clutched his head as if in pain.</p><p>
  <em>Your face ruined my day.</em>
</p><p>Janus’s breaths came in shorter and faster as he hunched over, holding himself tightly. His other arms came out to wrap around his knees and head, blocking out the rest of the world.</p><p>
  <em>Lying is already bad enough!</em>
</p><p>Patton and Logan rushed to his side.</p><p>
  <em>Why is he still here?</em>
</p><p>“Janus? Janus, can you hear me?”</p><p>
  <em>I don’t want to be a bad person.</em>
</p><p>"Give him space, Patton.”</p><p>
  <em>Did you forget that he’s evil?! </em>
</p><p>“Janus, just- just breathe, okay?”</p><p><em>Thomas doesn’t </em>need<em> you, snake.</em></p><p>Remus watched his best friend suffer through a panic attack with hardly a twitch. It was thrilling, in a way. He’d never seen Janus like this. No one had. Janus liked to seem unflappable and in control, even if he ruined it with his own inherent dorkiness, but he’d never broken down like this where people could <em>see</em>.</p><p>Well. Sometimes you had to break something to make it better. Remus was pretty sure he was the only one who really understood that.</p><p>Virgil stood there, stunned. He turned to Remus, who only raised an eyebrow at him, silently daring him to do something about the scene he’d caused. </p><p>The poor little emo looked so lost. And then he suddenly didn’t. He walked up to the trio kneeling on the floor.</p><p>“Hey,” he said, as gently as a chainsaw. He winced. Patton and Logan hovered protectively in front of Janus, uncertainty in their faces. </p><p>“Hey,” Virgil said again, softly this time, kneeling down. Patton hesitantly looked between the two, then stood up, pulling Logan with him. They stepped back several feet, ending up right next to the Duke, who crossed his arms as he watched, fingers tapping frantically on his sleeve like fleshy jackhammers trying to dig into his skin and find those maggots. Logan gave him a scrutinizing look, then, hesitantly, placed a hand gently on Remus’s shoulder. </p><p>Remus froze completely. His shoulder burned.</p><p>“Is it okay if I touch you?” Virgil asked, his voice low. He reached out a hand oh, so slowly, waiting for a reply.</p><p>It was a moment before Janus nodded, face hidden in his lap. Virgil took one of Janus’s gloved hands and held it gingerly, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. “Hey, let’s just breathe for a bit, okay? Breathe with me?”</p><p>Janus’s breath stuttered as he tried to comply. </p><p>
  <em>Evil.</em>
</p><p>“You’re doing great. Can you talk?”</p><p>Janus shook his head. </p><p>
  <em>Ruined.</em>
</p><p>“That’s fine. Just- just keep breathing for me, okay?”</p><p>Janus nodded. Virgil shifted a bit, pulling a little away, and another of Janus’s arms shot out to grab the other’s sleeve.</p><p>
  <em>Lying.</em>
</p><p>“I’m not leaving! I’m sorry, I should have said. I just want to sit down. Do you mind if I sit next to you?”</p><p>Janus tugged insistently on Virgil’s sleeve. Virgil let Janus pull him down next to him.</p><p>
  <em>Why?</em>
</p><p>“Is this okay?”</p><p>Janus leaned into Virgil, loosing a couple of his arms to wrap around and cling onto the purple side. Virgil held Janus with the same intensity. They sat there, holding each other for a while.</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="small">Bad.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>“I’m sorry. Really. I actually came here to apologize, if you can believe it. I know <em>I</em> wouldn’t.” Virgil said, his voice low. “I just- I guess I just panicked when I saw Patton. Assumed you were up to something again. Like, uh, like back when we were younger, you know? You and Roman had all those plans on how to make Thomas the coolest, most famous person in the world. They were pretty bad, but still. You two were always so dramatic about everything.”</p><p>Janus’s breathing was evening out.</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="small">Evil.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>“I really am sorry. I know you’re just doing your job. Trying to look out for Thomas, in your own way. Even if your way fucking sucks. Shit, sorry.”</p><p>Janus’s form jostled a little as he gave a huff of amusement. </p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="small">Snake.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>“You know how I’ve been, like, hiding in my room? I was thinking. A lot, actually. And then, when I talked to Roman last night- This morning? Nevermind, it doesn’t matter- he said some things that made me realize how much I missed…”</p><p>Janus wasn’t moving but for the slow and steady rise and fall of his shoulders. </p><p>“He, uh, he told me Thomas accepted you? And you told them your name? I couldn’t believe it. You must have been pretty desperate to do that. And, yeah, that was a real wake-up call.”</p><p>The voices were finally fading. Not completely gone, not yet, but no longer so loud they drowned out everything else. Remus closed his eyes and let the peace linger. Logan’s hand was still on his shoulder. It still <em>burned</em>.</p><p>“I was so surprised. Why would they give <em>him</em>- give <em>you</em> a seat at the table? And then I had to ask myself, why do I think that you <em>don’t</em> deserve it? And <em>that</em> sent me down this whole other rabbit hole...”</p><p>The silence was deafening. Patton was fidgeting, eyes darting this way and that, never settling on a single thing for too long before returning to Janus and Virgil. Logan watched the proceedings stone-faced, but the slight squeezing of his hand on Remus's still-burning shoulder gave away his unease.</p><p>“Because you’re Anxiety, and I’m Deceit,” Janus said with a sigh, sitting up and pulling out of the embrace, tucking his extra appendages away. “Lying always made you nervous. And the way I treated you in the past didn’t help. I thought if I could keep you and Remus under control, Thomas would be happier. Fit in. Not be a target. Clearly it had <em>stunning</em> results.”</p><p>The corner of Virgil’s lips twitched. “Not for lack of trying.”</p><p>The room fell quiet once more. Janus sighed again.</p><p>“Virgil, I’m sorry. Sincerely. I know any confidence we had in each other is gone at this point, but I hope from now on forward we can at least try to work together without everything devolving into another shouting match. For Thomas’s sake, if nothing else.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Virgil said after a moment, “same. I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have shouted at you first thing in the morning. I almost forgot how much of a bitch you can be.”</p><p>Janus chuckled at that. Remus rolled his eyes and yawned loudly, stretching his arms and shaking off Logan’s hand and the burning touch. It had been, what, fifteen minutes? Everyone else turned to stare at him.</p><p>“Fuckin’ finally! I thought you two would never kiss and make up!”</p><p>Virgil shot a disgusted glare at him. “Ugh, shut up, Remus!”</p><p>Janus chuckled again, shaking his head. He got up, offering a hand to Virgil. Virgil eyed it for a moment, eyes flicking up to see Janus raise a quizzical brow. He took it and let Janus pull him up.</p><p>Janus turned to Remus. “Remus.”</p><p>Remus looked him up and down, raising an unimpressed eyebrow and propping one of his arms on his hip. "Janus."</p><p>Janus took a breath. "I-"</p><p>"Gee, that's <em>great</em>, JD, but don't you have someone <em>else</em> to do <em>first</em>?" Remus asked loudly, pretending to examine the nails on his free hand. Maybe he’d turn them into claws later. Nice, long, sharp ones that could slice stone, cut diamonds, gouge out wide, yellow eyes...</p><p>Janus had stopped dead. He blinked, mouth hanging open, then, with a sharp exhale and a determined set to his eyes, he turned to Logan.</p><p>"Right. Logan. As I was saying before we were so <em>kindly</em> interrupted: I think I know what we need to do.”</p><p>Janus sunk out. Patton exchanged a look with a very tired Logan, who buried his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Virgil, hunched over, glanced up at Remus and quickly looked away when he met Remus’s eyes.</p><p>“Come on, guys. Let’s go talk to Thomas,” Patton said, sinking out after Janus.</p><p>"Oh, goody! A feel trip!” Remus said as they all followed him, wiggling as he went. Time to start bashing in some duck heads. With words. (And maybe his morning star.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>His best quality is his wiggles.<br/>I didn’t think I would enjoy writing this chapter as much as I did but reading it through again, I actually really like it.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you, kind stranger, for reading my fanfic! Let me know what you thought in the comments! ❤️</p></blockquote></div></div>
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